|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The MAC (Maverick Activities Center)
Room 101R
Arlington TX 76019
Phone:
817-272-0260 | Email:
rvsp@uta.edu
|
|
|
|
|
Risk Reduction: Sexual Assault
Safety Around the Community | Safety in Social Situations | Safety in
Sexually Violent Situations | Reduce the Risk of
Committing an Assault
- Be aware of your
surroundings.
- Trust your instincts. If you
feel uncomfortable about a person, place or situation, leave immediately
and go to a safe place
- Learn to be assertive. If the
way someone is touching you or talking to you is unnerving or uncomfortable,
say so, strongly and convincingly, and immediately leave that situation
- Lock your doors and your
windows when you are at home and even if you leave for just a few
minutes. Also, do not prop open self-locking doors
- Park in well-lit, familiar areas
and have your car/house keys ready before you reach the door
- Travel on familiar roadways.
If you think you are being followed turn around and travel to a well-lit
area
- Let someone know where you
will be and who you are with at all times. Also give them a time frame
of your expected destination arrival
- Don't put your name or
address or any other revealing information in your keys. Know where your
keys are at all times and don't let others borrow them
- Never let anybody know if you
will be home alone
- Make sure your car has gas
and is good working condition
- Be aware of the locations on
UTA campus with emergency call buttons on paths where you walk.
- Take a Rape Aggression
Defense Course
- Always carry extra money
around for cab fare or to make a phone call
Back
to top
Safety
in Social Situations
- Know your sexual limits and
set them early on
- If you do not know your date
well, invite a friend or another couple to join you and make it a group
outing or meet your date in a public place
- Communicate your intentions
with your partner. Be direct and convincing
- Be aware of any nonverbal
cues that you may be sending. Clarify any intentions with body language
and verbal cues so there is no room for confusion or misinterpretation
between parties
- You have the right to say
"NO" to any sexual contact that you do not feel comfortable
participating in regardless of whether that is a boyfriend,
ex-boyfriend, classmate or friend
- Avoid making sexual decisions
while drinking alcohol or using drugs. Your ability to make smart
decisions when drinking or using drugs is impaired
- Be a good friend to one
another and step in if you feel like your friend is susceptible to
sexual victimization
- Be aware that regardless of
all the precautions you take, you may still be a victim of sexual
assault
- Be aware of date rape drugs.
Do not leave your drink alone, to don't drink out of open containers,
and do not accept drinks from others (even if they were free)
- Avoid falling for lines such
as "If you loved me." If your partner loved you, he/she would
respect your feelings and wait until you are ready.
- Avoid individuals who:
- don't listen to you
- ignore personal space
boundaries
- make you feel guilty or
accuse you of being "uptight" for resisting sexual advances
- express sexists attitudes
and jokes
- act jealous or possessive
Back
to top
Tips
for Reacting to a Sexually Violent Situation
Often times,
saying "No" and refusing sexual contact will not stop a perpetrator
from committing a sexual assault and/or rape. If communicating your desires
not to engage in further sexual activity go unnoticed, here are some tips to
help you survive a sexually violent assault
- Act immediately: Trust your
intuition and get away if possible.
- Stay calm. If you cannot
immediately leave, try to think clearly about all your options.
- Passive defiance. Talking to
the attacker and persuading him to see you as a friend may discourage
the perpetrator from committing a sexual offense.
- Active resistance. If you are
not afraid to hurt someone, hit and kick hard-this gives you the
opportunity to escape. However, fighting back may anger the attacker and
cause him/her to attack more brutally. Self-defense training can make
you more confident and improve your physical strength. The UTA police
offer a Rape Aggression Defense Program (RAD) that you may be interested
in
- Submitting. By all means
necessary, do whatever you can to stay as safe as possible. If you feel
your life is in danger, submitting may be your only alternative.
Submitting to a forced attack does not mean that you gave consent. It is
still considered rape and is a crime.
Back
to top
Tips
to Reduce the Risk of Committing a Sexual Assault
- Know your sexual desires/limits
and communicate them early on with your partner
- Respect a person's sexual
limits regardless of previous sexual encounters. Engaging in sexual
activity before does not grant consent for any further sexual activity
- If a woman says
"NO", she really means "NO". Believe her and STOP
immediately
- Avoid making sexual decisions
while drinking alcohol or using drugs. Full consent for sexual activity
cannot be granted if someone is under the influence of alcohol or drugs
and you may be subject to criminal and/or University penalties if you
engage in sexual behaviors
- Do not make any assumptions
about the desires of your date. Style of dress, drinking alcohol or
using drugs, agreeing to spend time alone with you, hugging, kissing, etc.
does not imply that she wants to have sex. If you are unsure, please
verbalize your
- Be a good friend to one
another. If you see your buddy acting inappropriately (improper sexual
comments/ touching/advances, etc), please step in and defuse the situation
- Be aware that having sex with
someone who is mentally or physically incapable of giving consent is
rape. If you have sex with someone who is drugged, intoxicated, passed
out, or is otherwise incapable of saying no or knowing what is going on
around them, you may be guilty of rape.
- Resist peer pressure from
friends to participate in violent or illegal activities when in group
situations.
- Please be aware that you are
not being rejected as a person simply because a female does not want to
engage in sexual activity with you. Respect her decision to refuse
sexual advances
Sources:RAINN 2007, OCOSA 2007, Rennison,C. 1999, Pennsylvania Coalition
Against Rape, 2007
Back
to top
|
|